On November 1 and 2 , Mexicans set up altars, dress up as skeletons, and host parties to celebrate Day of the Dead .
In Mexico , each region has different ways to celebrate Day of the Dead : from the most traditional to the most modern , but without losing the essence of this heritage .
The Huasteca Potosina celebrates Xantolo . There are 20 municipalities with their own traditions that include dances, vigils, and altars with a common purpose: “to venerate the departed and remember them,” says Alfredo Ortega , project coordinator of San Luis Potosí’s Tourism Culture .
Xantolo
is celebrated in San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, Hidalgo, and Tamaulipas . The word comes from the Latin “sanctorum” or “saint” that refers to those who passed away.
Two elements are present in all the communities: altar and huehues or ancestors dances. Since October 31 , altars are installed in cemeteries and houses. In the top part, they put a palm arch with cempasúchil flowers to represent heaven’s gates.
If the community is of Náhuatl origin, the altar is put on a table ; if its Tének , it goes on the ground to have more contact with the soil .
The dances take place on November 1 and 2 . With violins, guitars, and jaranas, hundreds of locals dance in the streets and in the squares. They wear wooden masks to represent certain characters: devils, animals, old men, and Death.
Communities organize several events: parades, games, altars, tours in cemeteries . Most activities take place between October 31 and November 2 .
Tourism agencies, such as Huasteca Total Expediciones or MX Xpediciones , create travel packages to several towns. A one-day tour costs MXN $500 per person.
Alfredo Ortega recommends to include Tamaletom to see the Hawk’s Dance (similar to that of the “Voladores de Papantla” Dance , and to visit Axtla de Terrazas to see the “Cambio de Fiscal”, a ceremony in which a new cemetery guardian is appointed, who will take care of the departed during a year.
Xilitla, El Naranjo, and Tamazunchale are other destinations worthy of your visit. You can use Ciudad Valles as your base.